Area prep football game of the week Trojans win 1-point thriller

Sunday

A touchdown with less than 30 seconds left left to win by one point is pure, unvarnished joy.

On Friday, the Caney Valley High School football team experienced that heavenly feeling after Phillip Valentine made a catch and roll into the end zone, with 23 seconds left, for the winning score.

The final tally told it all: Caney Valley 14, Drumright Tornadoes 13.

What this game lacked in offensive firepower it more than made up for in heart-palpitating suspense — a gripping melodrama that saw the teams combined for 19 points in the final four minutes.

The script also included a 99-yard drive by Caney Valley for its first touchdown, a blocked punt out of the end zone for a safety and gladiatorial grittiness.

“Resilience,” Caney Valley head coach Stephen Mitchell said about what he felt proudest about. “The kids responded with so much resilience. I guess what made the difference was the kids never gave up. … The kids were just resilient. That’s not the Caney Valley of the past.”

Caney Valley improved to 2-1 on the season — a promising start for a team on a quest for its first playoff spot since 2012. Drumright (3-1) suffered its first loss — and its lowest point total by nearly half — of the campaign.

It was clear right from the opening kickoff both teams came to play defense.

The only points in the first two quarters were on a safety scored by Caney Valley on a blocked punt by Brandon Fogle. The ball went out the back of the end zone for the two-point play that put Caney Valley ahead at halftime.

“Our offense didn’t look very good the first half,” said Mitchell.

But, the Caney Valley defense “had a kind of bend-but-don’t-break-attitude,” he continued. “They were inside the five about five different times and our defense said, ‘You’re not getting in.’”

In the second half, Drumright powered the game all the way to the Caney Valley one-yard line. On fourth-and-one, the Trojan defense stuffed the Tornadoes to force a turnover on downs.

Caney Valley’s offense then took the ball 99 yards the other way.

The first part of drive included a few 10-to-12 yard carries by quarterback Christian Colbert.

When the Trojans pushed the ball to near midfield, Colbert passed over the top to Fogle, who took the ball to the house for a 54-yard play that put the Trojans ahead, 8-7, with approximately four minutes left in the game.

But, Drumright answered.

“We had them fourth and 16 and their quarterback made a beautiful throw down the sidelines and their kid made a beautiful catch,” Mitchell recalled vividly .

The Tornadoes kept going and cashed in with a touchdown to regain the lead, 13-8.

Time was running out on the Trojans.

But, Caney Valley’s offense had found its sync.

On its clutch drive with time running out, the Trojans matched to the Drumright 35-yard line. A pass interference call and a major penalty on Drumright put the ball down to the seven-yard line.

Caney Valley then called for a pass play.

Colbert spotted Valentine near the end zone and zinged the ball to him.

“He (Valentine) was thinking of one thing — cradle and roll,” Mitchell said. “That’s what he told us after the game, he was thinking of cradle and roll.”

Valentine caught the ball at about the one-yard line and tumbled into paydirt to propel Caney Valley to a 14-13 lead.

There were only 23 seconds left.

Drumright didn’t have time to answer.

On the night, Colbert rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries and threw for 141 yards and two scores.

Fogle hauled in three catches for 118 yards.

On the defensive side, tackle Christian Ballew made 10 tackles, while Fogle and Brayden Keith contributed 13 and nine tackles, respectively. Another defensive lineman, Caden Tinsley, racked up four tackles.

Mitchell also noted the contribution of linebacker Trinton Meeks and freshman Seth Gilbreath.